A Vacancy at Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust.
Full Time 12 Month Fixed Term/Secondment
Mersey & West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust (MWL) provides clinical support to patients with cancers of the Upper GI tract, and an exciting opportunity has arisen for a dynamic and motivated nurse to join a well-established Upper GI team. We are looking for an innovative, forward-thinking nurse who is highly motivated to improve practice and committed to developing clinical skills.
The Upper Gastrointestinal Nurse Specialist acts as a keyworker and provides a continuous point of contact throughout the patients’ pathway from diagnosis and onwards. The Nurse Specialist will oversee and deliver the key aspects of personalised care which includes Holistic Needs Assessment, Care Plans, Treatment Summaries and Health and Well-being events for patients with Upper Gastrointestinal Cancers.
Applications for this post are invited from nurses who have experience in gastrointestinal, oncology or palliative care nursing. You should also have a degree or working towards completion and possess excellent communication skills with a commitment to continuing education. The successful post holder will work cross both Whiston & St Helens hospital sites.
We offer a friendly, supportive working environment and as the post is Macmillan badged you may have access to financial support for commitment to personal professional development.
An Enhanced DBS with a barred list for Adults is required for the post.
• Assess, plan, implement and evaluate programmes of evidence-based nursing care.
• Provide specialist advice and clinical practice.
• Provide specialist education and training to others including ward staff.
• Work collaboratively and co-operatively to support clinical colleagues to develop services and high quality of care delivered.
• Support the Band 8A and 7 to lead the development of clinical services within the specialist field.
• Triage referrals to Upper GI CNS team.
• Manage an agreed patient caseload when the diagnosis of Upper GI cancer has been made.
• Order investigations per protocol act upon results following discussion with senior colleagues.
• Identify, assess, and triage patients ensuring smooth transition to other services as appropriate.
• As required undertake procedures.
• Undertake Holistic Needs Assessment, develop comprehensive care plans, with measurable outcomes, including advice or education to other clinical staff and care givers.
• Ensure the involvement of patients, cares and relatives in the planning and delivery of care.
• Act as a practitioner with supervision, exercising judgement, discretion and decision making in clinical care.
• Support senior team with compliance with any specific regulations for example: Quality Surveillance Programme, drug administration, record keeping and data collection within own area of work.
• Adhere to protocols for nurse led clinics, ensuring that outcomes are evaluated, and activity monitored.
Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust serves a population of over 600,000 with a workforce of over 9000 dedicated and skilled staff across 21 sites.
We strongly believe that the communities we serve should all have access to Five Star Patient Care.
Our services:
Acute Care
Providing emergency and maternity services at Whiston, Southport and Ormskirk hospitals, and medical and surgical specialties across all our sites.
Primary Care
Providing primary care services at Marshalls Cross Medical Centre situated in St Helens Hospital.
Community Services
Providing adult community services for St Helens and a wheelchair service in Chorley, South Ribble, and West Lancashire. Our inpatient unit at Newton Community Hospital is where patients needing acute hospital beds can continue rehabilitation, freeing up space for more unwell patients. We also provide urgent care at our Urgent Treatment Centre located in St Helens town centre.
Specialist Regional Services
We provide the Mersey Regional Burns & Plastic Surgery Unit at Whiston Hospital and the Spinal Injuries Unit at Southport Hospital to more than 4 million people across the whole of Merseyside, West Lancashire, Cheshire, Isle of Man and North Wales.
Achievements:
• Rated Outstanding by CQC Inspection August 2018
• Top 100 places to work in the NHS (NHS Employers & Health Service Journal)
• National Preceptorship Accreditation (2023) for Nursing & AHP Preceptorship Programme
KEY DUTIES
• Assess, plan, implement and evaluate programmes of evidence-based nursing care.
• Provide specialist advice and clinical practice.
• Provide specialist education and training to others including ward staff.
• Work collaboratively and co-operatively to support clinical colleagues to develop services and high quality of care delivered.
• Support the Band 8A and 7 to lead the development of clinical services within the specialist field.
• Triage referrals to Upper GI CNS team.
• Manage an agreed patient caseload when the diagnosis of Upper GI cancer has been made.
• Order investigations per protocol act upon results following discussion with senior colleagues.
• Identify, assess, and triage patients ensuring smooth transition to other services as appropriate.
• As required undertake procedures.
• Undertake Holistic Needs Assessment, develop comprehensive care plans, with measurable outcomes, including advice or education to other clinical staff and care givers.
• Ensure the involvement of patients, cares and relatives in the planning and delivery of care.
• Act as a practitioner with supervision, exercising judgement, discretion and decision making in clinical care.
• Support senior team with compliance with any specific regulations for example: Quality Surveillance Programme, drug administration, record keeping and data collection within own area of work.
• Adhere to protocols for nurse led clinics, ensuring that outcomes are evaluated, and activity monitored.
• Support the senior nurses to lead on the development of integrated care with primary and secondary care clinicians as required and other agencies involved with care delivery.
• Ensure appropriate services are put in place to support management of condition at home, supported by the multidisciplinary team as required.
• The post holder will abide by legal requirements and statutory rules relating to practice and promote and maintain standards of professional practice in accordance with the Nursing and Midwifery Councils (NMC) Code and Professional Conduct and Scope of Professional Practice.
• Responsibility to develop and deliver ‘Living with and beyond cancer’ patient support service.
• Responsibility to develop and deliver the Recovery package ‘as per NHS England requirements.
• Provide specialist telephone advice.
• Key worker role
CLINICAL & PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES
• Perform comprehensive assessment of patient nursing needs, plan, implement and evaluate care delivery according to changing health care needs.
• Perform clinical skills in assessment &/or diagnosis &/or treatment.
Collect, collate, evaluate, and report information, maintaining accurate patient records.
• Involve patients and carers/ relatives in the planning and delivery of care and the development of services.
• Monitor investigation results, initiating further assessment/ review and co-ordination of treatment pathway as required.
• Work collaboratively with other professionals and agencies to ensure discharge arrangements.
• Establish and maintain effective communication with patients and carers/relatives and professionals across health and social services.
• Contribute to the health and promotion agenda with the local health economy.
• To undertake / work towards non-medical prescribing as per NMC and trust guidance.
• In keeping with the NMC “Code of Professional Conduct” and “Standards of Proficiency for Nurse and Midwife Prescribers”, keep up to date with best prescribing practice in relation to the management of conditions within his/her specialist area.
• Attend Clinical Supervision sessions.
• Attend Trust / Network meetings in the absence of senior staff.
ADMINISTRATIVE RESPONSIBILITIES
• Administration supporting direct patient care/MDT preparation/follow up.
• Dictating and signing letters
• Requesting appointments for patients
• Processing Clinical Outcome sheets
• Updating Somerset Cancer Registry
• Report Writing
• Presentations
• Macmillan Service Reviews
• Address issues raised by remote follow up clinic service.
• Patient experience assessment/improvement advocates
TEACHING & TRAINING RESPONSIBILITIES
• Identify learning needs, plan, implement and evaluate programmes of education to meet identified needs.
• Participate in the education of pre and post registered nurses, medical staff, AHP’s, patients and carers and participate in curriculum development where appropriate.
• Address specific health targets e.g. CHI, NICE Guidance, NSF related to own are of practice through education.
• Ensure own compliance and compliance of others with regarding mandatory training and PREP requirements.
LINE MANAGEMENT/SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES
• Provide specialist clinical knowledge to clinical colleagues, patients, and carers/relatives.
• Evaluate service delivery against key performance targets, National Quality Measures, identify areas for improvement and initiate change.
• Ensure the effective and efficient use of physical and financial resources; make suggestions regarding supplies and equipment.
• Collect, collate and report activity data to key stakeholders, producing regular formal reports.
RESEARCH & AUDIT
• Identify need for, participate and undertake, research, clinical audit, benchmarking, and equipment trials, to improve effectiveness of patient care.
• Disseminate research and audit findings through presentation to professional groups and publication.
• Comply with policies, procedures, and guidelines relevant to own area of work.
• Promote patient and public involvement activities in the specialist area, leading to service improvement.
• Promote people’s equality, diversity, and rights.
This advert closes on Friday 14 Feb 2025
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